Sofia Talvik’s Xmas Calendar 2012 #15

Gustaf and Jens are two guys who just happen to love beer. Well tell me about a guy who doesn’t you might think, but seriously, these guys love beer so much they actually brew their own harvest beer once a year, and it’s so popular it sells out instantly in Sweden.

in 2011 Gustaf and Jens invited me to play at their outdoors pop up restaurant at Öland’s Harvest Festival, so now I figured I’d ask them if they would be a part of my Christmas Calendar. In this window Jens will show you how to make a Swedish Christmas drink with beer called “Mumma”. They will also give you a short history lesson, how about that!

You can find information about Gustaf an Jens and their yearly harvest beer here! If you go to their website you will also find the recipes of some of the delicious food they serve with their craft beer. I’ve typed up the recipe for Mumma for you below. I hear it especially tasty if you listen to my new Christmas single while you drink it! Enjoy!

Gustaf och Jens Mumma recipe!

11 oz lager beer
11 oz dark beer; stout or similar
8 oz sparkling water/mineral water (you can add some sugar to it to sweeten it up)
3 oz sherry
Stir and serve!

Jens and Gustaf
Jens and Gustaf

Gustaf Waesterberg: Chef with a special love for organic food turned photographer.
Jens Skrubbe: Beer sommelier and bar manager at Pressklubben in Stockholm.

Did you miss a day in the calendar? See all the windows in the Xmas Calendar here: https://sofiatalvik.com/julkalendern

My culinary tour

If you’ve followed me on Facebook before you know that I enjoy cooking (understatement!) and like to post pictures of whatever food I make. In the RV it’s a little bit more challenging to go on any culinary adventures. I try my best but work space is limited as well as cupboard space and having lived in this thing for about two months I’m not quite stocked up on spices and tools either. We’re also on a budget whereas at home we almost never got around to eating those leftovers.

But as someone said – musicians tend to find each other everywhere, so it seems foodies do too. On this tour so far we’ve been invited for some lovely meals, both in people’s homes and to restaurants – something that we starving artists always appreciate. In Tampa we happened to meet the chef/ owners of the hot new restaurant The Refinery which has been written about in fancy publications such as Condé Nast Traveller. They invited us for dinner, the day after my gig at the great beer bar The Independent, and by chance their neighbor had dropped off a couple of pheasants which they prepared for us.

In Birmingham, AL I visited the radio show Oh Brother and the owner of MIX, a very nice bakery/restaurant in downtown wrote on my facebook wall and invited us for lunch. We had some great gumbo but was most impressed by the gorgeous sour dough breads that they had for sale. Good bread is something that’s very hard to find here in the US I think. I might be spoiled though because back in Sweden the bakery of the Swedish champion in bread baking is just next doors to my apartment.

When lunching at MIX the chef and co-owner Phil Dupont came out to say hi and all of a sudden we were invited to his upscale restaurant Cafe Dupont for dinner. We were totally blown away by the beauty and atmosphere at Cafe Dupont but even more so by the food. My favorite was the tuna starter (I’m a sucker for good tuna and Asian flavors) and Jonas favorite was the veal starter. And don’t get me started on the Cosmo!!!

In New Orleans we’ve been taken out to experience the best of the city by our newfound friend photographer Marc Pagani, who not only showed us the Hi Ho Lounge, made us the strongest drink ever but also took us for a culinary tour at La Petite Grocery on Magazine street. Food and ambience was great and I’d go back anytime if I could.

We ended our last night in NOLA with a visit to Lola’s, an unpretentious little Spanish restaurant in Mid-city which was also very enjoyable. We really had our mind set on the authentic kitchen of Liuzza’s by the track but unfortunately they were closed on Sunday’s. Good thing we already had the catfish po-boys and beignets the days before.

But as enjoyable restaurants are the most satisfying is a really good meal you’ve cooked yourself. I never thought I’d do the Swedish cabbage rolls in the RV (the best kind of comfort food) but that’s what I did the other day. And people who think you have to live off microwave meals and eat off paper plates are either too lazy to use their kitchen or just not creative enough. I even made a quick version of beef teriyaki the other day. Or how about some Vietnamese salad wraps?

If I’d just have some more space and would be able to find fresh yeast I’d be baking too. Actually it’s probably just the lack of yeast that stops me 😉

Making the video – in Gothenburg!

So today I'm off to my old home town Gothenburg, to shoot the video for my upcoming single Mother's Way, Father's Way.
My very talanted friend Emelie Asplund is going to produce it. She's also the photographer that supplies me with beautiful press pics.

Here's a photo of me and Emelie when we were in the Phillippines last year (she's going to kill me when she finds out I've posted it here. :shock:)
Emelie Asplund & Sofia Talvik